


I’m Scared, Merle

by asavoy1019



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:48:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29794230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asavoy1019/pseuds/asavoy1019
Summary: A collection of short drabbles where Daryl looks up to his brother for guidance and advice. Touches on Bethyl relationship in later chapters.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & Merle Dixon, Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	1. 6 years old

“I’m scared, Merle.”

“What the hell for, boy?”

“I don’t want you to go!” Little six year old Daryl cried out to his eighteen year old brother. 

Merle wasn’t the best brother. He had a temper like their daddy, he often picked and nagged at Daryl, he was almost always drunk or high and was always dragging Daryl around to get in trouble with him. But he never hit Daryl, not in an abusive way. He never raised a hand to him out of anger, unless you counted a quick slap upside his head when he was being a smart ass. He had done his best to take him under his wing and keep him out of the line of sight of their father.

“Boy, I gotta go.. can’t stay here. I’ll come back for ya alright? Just gonna take me some time, yeah?”

“But Merle!” Tears now started to fall from Daryl’s eyes as he begged Merle to not leave him. His dark scraggly hair hung in his eyes and his tears mixed with the dirt on his face, leaving two muddy trails down his cheeks.

“Now you listen here.. I made it, so will you. You’re a Dixon damnit! Now quit acting like a fuckin pussy.” Merle scowled at his baby brother. Dixon’s didn’t cry. He needed to learn that lesson real quick if he wanted to survive this world. If he wanted to survive their pa. 

Daryl sniffled as he tried his best to hold the tears in and Merle shook his head. The boy had always had a soft heart. Just like their momma. Anytime Merle had fussed at him, the damn kid looked to be on the verge of tears. Hell, he could fight well enough, he just didn’t take well to being yelled at. It always seemed to break his spirit more than a fist ever could. He just hoped their pa wouldn’t kill him for it before he could get back and take Daryl away from the bastard. 

“Look little bro,” Merle said as he kneeled down in front of Daryl, “stay outta his way, alright? Don’t piss him off if you can help it. Keep your head down. Do what you can to survive. I taught ya that much.” 

“Why cantcha take me with you now?” Daryl pleaded. He would do anything to go with Merle now. The thought of being left alone with his father terrified him to no end. 

“Boy you know why. I ain’t just movin to no new house. I’m goin into the army. Can’t take no kids there.” He reached out and laid a hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “I gotta do it. It’s gonna put some money in the bank and when I get out, I can get an apartment or somethin. Then I can come back and getcha.” Merle squeezed the boy’s shoulder in hopes he would be a little reassured.

“Merle.. I can’t stay here. Please.. he’ll kill me,” Daryl started to panic in his fear. His whole body shook in terror as he begged his brother. 

“Now that’s enough of that. He ain’t gonna kill ya. Not as long as ya do what I told ya. Keep your head down. Don’t talk back to him. And don’t ever show weakness. Ya hear me?” Merle shook the boy, trying to get his point across. He needed Daryl to understand that much. Their pa thrived on other’s pain, and if he caught on to one of your weaknesses, then he would use that to hurt you, then beat your ass for getting upset in the first place. Merle needed him to comprehend that.  He might not show it very well, but that boy was all he had left in this world that he cared about. 

Daryl sniffled as he tried to get himself under control. He didn’t want to disappoint Merle. He wanted to be tough just like his big brother. Merle wasn’t afraid of anything. He wanted to make him proud. Daryl nodded his head as he got control over himself. He could do this for Merle, especially if it meant Merle would come back for him. 

“Good,” Merle nodded his head as he took in the boy in front of him. He was too little; probably due to the malnutrition since they never had much money for food. 

Things had been slightly better when Merle was a kid. Their pa hadn’t drunk quite as much. Their ma didn’t smoke near as much, plus she had a small side job cleaning up after the strip joint down the road closed for the night. It brought in a little extra money, and they were able to eat slightly better. That all changed when ma popped up pregnant for Daryl. Pa beat the shit out of her because he thought she had been screwing around with one of the men at the club. He made her quit her job and wouldn’t let her work again because he didn’t trust her. 

So there went all of their extra money. Things had just gone downhill from there. Pa drank even more because he was so pissed off, and it was a wonder he didn’t kill Daryl at birth. Ma just seemed to give up at life. She drowned her sorrows in her cigarettes and red wine. As soon as Daryl got old enough to comprehend what ol’ Will Dixon was saying, Merle would drag him along with him everywhere he went in order to save him from their pop’s anger. The bastard had gotten so mean that even Merle wanted to kill him. 

It had gotten even worse after their ma fell asleep with that damn cigarette in her hand and burned the whole place down with her in it. Their pa never forgave her for leaving him to deal with the two boys on his own. It just made him even meaner. Merle got the brunt of Will’s anger because he would put himself between Will and Daryl. But things had gotten to be too much lately. 

A recruiter had stopped Merle one day when he was walking cross the parking lot and handed him a pamphlet. He told Merle that he looked like just the kind of guy the army could use. Merle had known then that it was his way out. He could get something started for him and Daryl. He could take him from their pa without much of a fight. Pa never wanted him anyway. Daryl would just have to survive on his own for a little bit. 

“I promise, kid. I’ll be back before ya know it.” Merle had started to choke up, knowing exactly what he was leaving his little brother to live with. 

Daryl looked like he was about to bust out in tears again, so he threw his arms around Merle’s neck and buried his face in it. “I’m gonna miss you.” 

Merle wrapped his arms around him tightly as his throat constricted and his eyes prickled. He hoped to God the boy would heed his advice and stay alive. He couldn’t let Daryl see him break down, though. It would make him think he could show that emotion in front of their pa, then he would surely get his ass kicked for it. He had to understand he couldn’t show none of that shit. 

“Get the fuck offa me,” he grumbled, trying to put as much annoyance into it as he could. Merle could see the hurt in Daryl’s face and it pained him something bad to know these were his parting words to his baby brother. “Only time a Dixon likes to be hugged is when he’s getting fucked. Remember that, kid.” 

Daryl’s lips trembled as he nodded his head. He wanted to show Merle he could be brave like him. If he kept acting like a big baby, then Merle might not come back for him. He sucked in a deep breath and pushed all of his emotions to the back of his brain. He could do this. He could be brave. Merle would come back for him.

Merle stood up and stuck his hand out for Daryl to shake. The boy gripped it and put as much strength as he could into it, trying to show his brother he could be a man. 

“See ya soon, kid.” Merle turned around and walked off down the road with his bag hanging off his back, without looking back once. Daryl stood in the middle of that road, looking down it long after Merle had disappeared from his sight, hoping his brother would be back to rescue him soon. 

He wouldn’t see Merle for about ten years after that day. 


	2. 17 years old

_ “I’m scared, Merle.” _

_ “What the hell for, boy?” _

_ “I think I’m dying.” 17-year old Daryl panicked as he clutched at his heart, gulping for air.  _

_ Merle threw his head back and laughed at his little brother. He knew what the kid was going through. He had been there a few times himself. He took a long drag of the joint pinched between his fingers before shaking his head and exhaling. _

_ “You’re fine, kid. It’s just a bad trip is all.” Merle didn’t want to give him too hard of a time. Having a bad trip was scary as hell, especially if it was your first one. He couldn’t help but get a kick out of it, though. _

Merle had left the army about five months before that, having finally had enough of the blood and guts and death. He had only stayed in for so long because of the guilt he carried around with him at leaving his baby brother behind to suffer at the hands of their father. He knew it sounded ridiculous, because staying gone only meant that Daryl had to suffer longer, but he couldn’t bring himself to face the reality of the situation. And honestly, his father still scared the living hell out of him. 

He had finally decided to man up when he had gotten a call from Grady Memorial Hospital transferred to him at his base in Iraq. It had been an older nurse that knew their family from all the times their mother and Merle had frequented the ER due to the abuse of Will Dixon. She told Merle that she had been treating his brother more and more frequently lately. Daryl never would tell her what happened to him, but his injuries were getting more severe with each visit. She told Merle that she was going to call child welfare and have Daryl removed from the home if he couldn’t do anything to help his brother. Knowing that the woman was risking her job to tell him this, Merle thanked her and promised that he would do something about it. 

Three months later, when it was his time for re-enlistment, Merle declined and went home. He purchased himself a little shack outside of city limits and got everything set up, then he paid his father and brother a visit. Walking in, unannounced, he saw right as his pa landed a blow to Daryl’s stomach. The boy doubled over, trying to catch his breath as Will yelled out, “Don’t ever let me catch ya eyeballin’ me like that again you stupid son of a bitch!”

Having not heard the door open, the eldest Dixon was caught by surprise when Merle shoved his shoulder into him, knocking him into the shelves by the broken tv. Seeing red at having caught his father in the middle of abusing Daryl, he punched his old man in the face as hard as he could. Will hit the floor of the beat down trailer will a loud thunk. 

Daryl stood back against the wall, surprised at seeing his brother, but even more surprised to see someone standing up to his pa. Nobody ever had the guts to do such a thing. He was afraid to move a muscle, not knowing what was going to happen next. He hadn’t spoken to Merle in years, so he didn’t know what to expect. The letters they had sent back and forth at first had practically become nonexistent lately. He loved his brother, but it hurt him too much to know that Merle had escaped their hell and he had been left behind. Besides, there hadn’t been anything new to report recently besides the few broken bones, concussions, and stitches he had needed due to their father. 

Merle and Will were staring each other down, neither speaking, when Merle pointed a finger at Daryl. “Get your shit. You’re comin’ with me.” He then turned his finger and pointed it down at Will’s broken and bloody nose. “You ain’t never gonna see us again,” he spat out with fire in his eyes. 

Daryl ran to his room and gathered up all he could fit into an old back pack he had. When he returned to the living room, both men were still staring each other down, breathing hard. Daryl went straight to the door and walked out without looking back at his father. He heard Merle coming up behind him and right as the door closed, he could hear his pa yell out, “To hell with the both of ya!” They climbed into Merle’s truck and took off. 

It had been a few weeks since then, and Merle could tell that Daryl was having trouble adjusting. He was old enough to get a job now, so him and Merle had been working at a mechanic shop in town, but Daryl was still closed off. He wouldn’t interact with their coworkers and he would flinch if anybody moved too fast around him. 

Thinking this had been too big of a change at once for Daryl, Merle told him to pack a bag one weekend because they were going camping. He figured the kid might just need a step back and some fresh air. Plus, he had been itching to go on a hunt. 

After they made the two hour trip to Merle’s favorite hunting grounds, the pair set up camp and got to tracking. He was impressed with Daryl’s skills. He hadn’t seen him in action since he was just a little boy, and he had certainly perfected the skill. Not surprising, since their father had them hunting from the moment they could walk. 

They bagged them a handful of squirrel and rabbit and roasted them over the fire back at their tent. Once their stomachs were full, Merle could tell that Daryl was still too wound up. He wanted him to be able to let loose for a change, so he dug around in his bag until he found one of the joints he had tucked away. 

Daryl hadn’t been surprised to see that Merle brought weed. He smoked it often and would pass it over to Daryl sometimes. He had never smoked enough to be considered high, but he would use just enough to take the edge off. He would never admit it to Merle, but he lived in a constant state of anxiety and fear. It felt like his father was going to pop up at any moment and jerk him back to that trailer and beat the dog shit out of him. Anytime he screwed something up at work, he was terrified somebody would raise their hands to him. He had gotten pretty good at fighting over the past few years, but it wasn’t something he enjoyed. Every time his fist connected with another person, he felt like he was turning into Will Dixon. Sometimes he would wonder if maybe he should put a bullet through his brain to stop the chances of him ever having a wife or kids and treating them the same way he was raised. 

When Merle offered him the joint this time, Daryl took it gratefully. He needed to get out of this slump he was in. His brain had been too loud and awfully quiet all at the same time. Inhaling deeply, he felt as the drug coursed through his system. Expecting that moment of tranquility, he was surprised when everything started to spin. Quickly passing the joint back to a confused Merle, Daryl shut his eyes as his body began to tremor. He felt nauseous, so he stood and ran behind the tent to relieve his stomach’s contents. His heart was racing and he felt like he could hardly breathe. Slowly, he made his way back to sit on the log by the campfire. He didn’t know what was wrong with him and he was terrified.

“I’m scared, Merle.”

“What the hell for, boy?”

“I think I’m dying,” Daryl panicked as he clutched at his heart, gulping for air. 

Merle threw his head back and laughed at his little brother. He knew what the kid was going through. He had been there a few times himself. He took a long drag of the joint pinched between his fingers before shaking his head and exhaling.

“You’re fine, kid. It’s just a bad trip is all.” 

“No, Merle, somethin’s wrong with me,” Daryl whispered breathlessly, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to concentrate on his breathing. Why wasn’t Merle more concerned? He was obviously dying. 

Merle sat on his side of the fire, continuing to smoke as he shook his head, “I’m tellin ya, boy, ain’t nothin’ wrong. It’s just a bad trip. All you can do is wait it out. Either just sit there and take deep breaths or go lay down and sleep it off.”

Daryl thought on that for a minute. He wanted to believe his brother, but this just felt too real. His heart felt like it would pound through his chest and the world was still spinning. He couldn’t sit here and wait this out. He slowly got to his feet on wobbly legs and made his way to the tent. He would sleep this off. Merle said he would be okay, so he just had to trust that. 

Merle finished off the joint as he watched Daryl wordlessly crawl into the tent. He felt kind of guilty because he really had just wanted Daryl to relax. There was no way he could have known Daryl would have a bad reaction to this weed. He could only hope that Daryl would feel better tomorrow and they could just go fishing or something. 

Grabbing the cooler, Merle popped open one of his beers and kicked back. There wasn’t much to do now that the sun had set and he was all alone, so he figured he would just finish this beer and get some shut-eye himself. 

Halfway through his can, Daryl started screaming in a panic and Merle nearly jumped out of his skin. Running over to the tent, he pulled the flap back, thinking Daryl had somehow injured himself. 

“Merle! Merle! Get it! Get the fucking thing!” Daryl had pushed himself up against the back wall of the tent and his eyes were wide as he shook in terror. 

Merle looked around, confused, thinking a snake or raccoon had worked its way into the tent. He was about to bitch at Daryl to calm hispansy ass down, but as his eyes searched the tent, he found nothing inside besides their two sleeping bags. 

“Boy what the hell are you goin’ on about!” He hollered over Daryl’s panic. 

“The fuckin’ chupacabra!” 

Merle looked up at his brother, dumbfounded. “The fuckin’ what?”

“It ran out when you came in. It was in here, Merle! I swear the damn thing was about to eat me!”

“Jesus, kid, you really are on a bad trip, aintcha?” Merle chuckled. 

“The hell you laughing’ at? I saw it! Them damn claws were as big as my hands!” Daryl’s panic was edging into anger. He hated being laughed at. 

“Ain’t a damn thing after you, boy,” Merle told him, shaking his head. “I’m tellin’ ya.. it’s just a bad reaction to the weed. Now calm the hell down.”

Merle went to shut the tent and go back to the fire, but he could tell Daryl was still freaked out. He couldn’t leave him like this. Instead, he climbed in and zipped the flap closed. He laid down on his sleeping bag and looked over to Daryl. “Come on, kid. Get some sleep. Ain’t nothin’ gettin’ past ol’ Merle,” he said as he laid an arm across his face. He wasn’t Daryl’s daddy, but he could do this much for him. He could make him feel safe.

Daryl didn’t respond, but after a few moments, Merle could hear Daryl slipping into his own sleeping bag. Right as he was falling asleep, he heard Daryl quietly murmur, “Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y’all for all of the wonderful comments! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! I just love the idea of protector Merle. Let me know what y’all think 😊


	3. 26 years old

“Stop it, Merle.. I ain’t doin’ it.”

“Why the hell not, boy?” 

26 year old Daryl gave his brother an incredulous look. “Ain’t interested,” he told him pointedly.

Merle laughed before slapping Daryl on the back and glancing over to the service entrance of the mechanic shop. “Bullshit y’aint interested.. you been drooling over that girl for weeks. Nut up and fuckin’ talk to her already.” 

Daryl resisted the urge to slam the wrench back down onto the tool bench before muttering, “I do talk to her.”

Merle huffed, “Yeah.. work-related shit. ‘Which customer is next’ and ‘are the checks ready’ dont fuckin’ count.”

Daryl shoved past him in annoyance, aggravated that he wouldn’t just leave it alone. “I ain’t got any other reason to talk to her, so drop it. Like I said, I ain’t interested.” He was pissed that his brother knew him so well, though. He had been attracted to Beth from the moment she started working at the shop, but he had always been too shy to talk to her. He knew her father, had worked on his truck from time to time over the years. He was a kind man, but Daryl didn’t think that kindness would extend towards him dating his daughter. She was proper, always clean, always smiling, and she would sing under her breath if she thought nobody was listening. It was the best part of his day if he happened to hear her sweet voice carrying on through the shop window. 

She was always sweet to him, but she was like that with everyone. It’s not like it was saved just for him. Why would it be, anyway? He was just a dirty redneck with a shitty past. Everyone in town knew who the Dixons were and where they came from. Him and his brother had stayed on the better side of the law, but their father’s legacy followed them everywhere. No chance in hell would a good girl like that want anything to do with him. Besides, she was too young anyway. She had just graduated high school and was working at the shop to earn some extra money while she was at the local community college. She hadn’t told him any of this, of course. It was just stuff he had heard her talking about in passing. No, she was way too good for him. 

“Alright.. fine. You ain’t interested,” Merle shrugged his shoulder in indifference, “Then you ain’t gonna care if I take my shot, then.”

Daryl froze mid-stride as he was walking away.He couldn’t tell if Merle was bluffing or not. He didn’t want Merle to know that his assumption about him liking Beth had been true, but he really didn’t want Merle harassing her to go out with him, either. Surely, Beth wouldn’t fall for Merle. But he was a really smooth talker. Daryl had seen him pick up some really hot chicks at a bar, right under their boyfriend’s noses. Beth wasn’t just some hot chick at a bar, though. She wouldn’t fall for his tricks, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

Turning and walking back to Merle, he got right in his face before whispering, “Leave her alone, Merle.”

Merle gave a sly grin before whistling, “If you ain’t interested, then why you bein’ so protective, huh?”

Daryl was trying not to let Merle get under his skin, so he took a deep breath before answering. “Cause you’re just doin’ this shit to try to get under my skin.”

“Aw hell, little brother.. ,” Merle raised his voice slightly as he looked over Daryl’s shoulder. “I’m just trying to get you laid. You’re too wound up,” he finished with a smirk. 

Daryl turned to see what Merle was looking at, but was met with wide, blue eyes staring back at him. Beth’s cheeks were turning a deep shade of red, and Daryl knew she had heard exactly what Merle said. He wanted to knock the shit out of him. His only saving grace was that Merle hadn’t said her name out loud, so she had no way of knowing they were talking about her. 

Beth cleared her throat before looking away, embarrassed, and told them, “Tyreese wanted me to see if y’all wouldn’t mind closing up the shop on your own. He’s not feeling too good.”

Merle smiled as if nothing had ever happened, “Nah, girl.. let him know we got it.”

She nodded her head quickly before turning and walking back inside. 

Daryl rounded on him and got in his face, pissed off. “What the fuck you do that for?”

“Oh calm down, will ya,” Merle rolled his eyes before putting his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “Look, kid, it’s obvious ya like her.. And I know you well enough to know you ain’t ever gonna pick up the courage to ask her out if I don’t give you a push. So I’m tellin’ you now.. either you ask her out, or I will.” Merle gave his shoulder a pat before walking away without a look back. 

Daryl took a few moments to calm himself down before glancing back through the shop window. Beth was sitting at her usual spot behind the service desk, scribbling away on a notepad. He couldn’t just go ask her out now, even if he could pluck up the courage. Merle had just said, out loud and right in front of her, that he was trying to get him laid. If he asked her out now, she would assume that’s all he was after. 

Daryl couldn’t decide what he thought was worse; Beth rejecting him because she didn’t like him, or her rejecting him because she thought he was only after sex. He couldn’t do nothing, though. Merle would ask her out, just to prove a point to him. Cursing under his breath, he kicked out at a tire that was laying on the ground by him and turned to go inside the building. He could kill Merle for putting him on the spot like this. Right before entering, he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. 

Beth looked up as soon as he opened the door. Her cheeks turned pink when she realized it was him, and he had to resist the urge to turn around and walk right back out. He knew she had to be thinking about what Merle had said and was probably preparing to tell him to fuck off in the politest way possible. Instead, she just smiled shyly at him before looking back down at her notebook, not expecting him to talk to her.

Daryl walked up to the counter with his stomach in knots. He really didn’t want to do this, especially now. Merle wasn’t going to give him much of a choice, though. He cleared his throat to clear the nerves and she looked up.

“Hey,” she said sweetly, as if it was just a normal day.

“Hey.. uh.. look I’m sorry.. ‘bout Merle. He was just bein’ a dick,” he apologized, unsure if this would be the right route to take. 

Beth gave a small chuckle before shaking her head, “No.. it’s okay.. I didn’t mean to interrupt y’all’s ‘guy-talk’.”

“No.. it wasn’t like that..” Daryl had started to explain, but his brain short-circuited and he couldn’t push any more words out of his mouth. This right here was the exact reason he never approached women. He wasn’t smooth like his brother. He couldn’t just pull compliments out of the air. Merle’s ability to talk to the opposite sex came as easily as walking. Hell, Daryl had to give Merle the credit for just about every time he had ever had sex.

Beth sat quiet for a moment, waiting to see if he would continue. When he didn’t, she gave a small shrug of her shoulders and said, “Okay.” 

“It was.. he just.. I..,” he struggled to get the words out, feeling like a moron for even trying.

“It’s okay, Daryl. You don’t have to explain it to me,” she told him in that sweet, southern voice.

God, he really needed to man up and quit acting like a scared damn kid. Taking a breath to calm his stuttering, he looked into her patient eyes, “He was just tryin’ to get me to do somethin’.” 

Beth’s head tilted a little to the side as her eyebrows squinted in confusion, “Is it somethin’ you want to do? Or is he just bein’ a jerk?”

“Uhh.. I mean, yeah, I want to. Not what he was talking’ about.. it’s somethin’ else.. it’s just not that simple.” He tried to beat around the bush. Maybe if he kept this vague, he wouldn’t have to come right out and admit to it.

“Oh.. well, what is it? I can try to help if ya need,” she offered sweetly. Of course she would lend a hand. She was always trying to help everyone out. 

Hell, maybe he could get some pointers from her. Figure out how girls would want to be approached in this situation. He could just tell Merle that he needed to back off and give him some time. 

“Um.. well.. there’s this girl..,” God, he could crawl under a rock with how embarrassing this was. “I just.. I don’t know how to go about asking her out.”

Daryl could feel the tips of his ears turning red at his revelation. Looking up to meet Beth’s eyes, he couldn’t help but notice she looked a little disappointed and he wasn’t sure why.

“Oh.. well, do you know much about her? You could use that to your advantage.”

“What do you mean?” He asked curiously.

“Like.. if a girl likes movies, ask her to the theatre. Or if she likes competition, bring her to the arcade.” 

“What if I don’t really know much about her?” His insecurities were creeping to the forefront of his mind. Should he know more about her before asking her out? Would he come off as a creep if he didn’t?

“That’s fine, too.. just ask her to do something that you like, as long as it’s something she would enjoy too.”

“How would I know if it’s something she would like?” He worried. This whole business of dating was starting to seem like too much trouble for his anxiety.

Beth gave him a small chuckle, “I just mean don’t take her to do guy things. Like bars or strip clubs. Just like I wouldn’t ask a guy to go get a pedicure or something with me.”

Daryl felt himself blush and really hoped Beth didn’t think he would offer to bring a girl to a strip club as a date. He didn’t even really like those places himself.

“Stick to cute, simple things.. For example, I love the sound of planes taking off. I could sit at the airport and listen to them all day. So if I were to ask someone out, I might see if they would want to just go park the truck and watch planes for a little while. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”

Daryl tucked away the bit of information she had provided him about herself. Maybe that was something he could use to his advantage. The plus side to it was that the sound of planes were calming to him, also. 

“Got it.. thanks,” he told her as he turned away. Hoping she didn’t take it as rude, he walked back out into the shop before she could reply. He was grateful she had given him the advice, but he just wasn’t used to this much conversation at once and needed to get out of there so he could breathe. 

Walking out to the side of the building, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes as he leaned back against the brick wall. After taking a deep inhale of his smoke, an idea came to him. He quickly pulled out his phone and opened up Google. Remembering seeing a billboard advertisement recently, he typed “Atlanta airshow” into the search engine. The results told him that the show was actually the very next day. 

Shit.

If he wanted to ask Beth to go on a date to the air show tomorrow, then he would need to ask her today. And quitting time was coming up quickly, so he would have to do it soon. The universe was never on his side. It couldn’t give him just a few days to build up some form of courage.

He stubbed out what was left of cigarette and took a deep breath. To hell with it.. he would do it now before he lost his nerve. Walking back across the shop, he opened the door and stepped right up to the counter. Beth looked up to him as soon as she heard the door open. He could tell she was about to say something, so he cut her off before he could panic and chicken out.

“Hey.. uh.. you wanna go to the air show in Atlanta with me tomorrow?” He spit out quickly, cringing with how ridiculous he thought he sounded. 

Beth’s smiled turned from a shy one to genuinely happy as she nodded her head. “Yeah.. yeah, that sounds great.” 

Hell, maybe he would need to thank Merle after all.


End file.
